Limitations
by quinch
Summary: People hate third parties. It's normal. But try putting yourselves on their shoes. Even if you want to, there are somethings that can't be done. There are limitations. After all, you are a third party.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I wrote the draft of this story when we still had classes. So, you can say that this is the result of my boredom in Values Education. :D

**Disclaimer: **No. I do not and will never own Gakuen Alice.

**Limitations**

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_Sometimes, despite your best efforts otherwise, life will give you limits._

_-Love Happens_

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**Chapter One**

He had reached his limits for the day.

Just another shriek, scream or sob and he would burst. He hung his white coat on his chair and sat down. After a sigh, he rubbed the sides of his forehead. It had been a long day. He was dead tired.

He really could not understand people. He didn't want to hear their irritating sobs. Why couldn't they just accept that they have this certain illness? Why did they keep on telling him that his findings were wrong? Just like earlier when he informed a couple that the wife would just live for four more months. The husband grabbed his collar and almost punched him. The doctor almost fought back, too. Why, was it him who gave the wife her illness? He merely told the truth. What could _they _do? She was already at the fourth stage of her cancer. It was hopeless.

They kept on telling him that there might be something wrong; that he should take his words back. Hah, as if he would go say false statements. What's the point of going to a hospital if they can't accept the reality? It's all too stupid, really stupid.

He never really wanted to become a doctor in the first place. He didn't want to cure anybody. He didn't give a damn about them. Besides, he never dreamed about memorizing medicines, classifications of bacteria, viruses and fungi. He didn't care about the freaking systems in the body and the freaking laboratory apparatuses.

The guy had had actually no clue on how he lasted for a year in this stinking hospital. All he could see was white. All was white he had almost gone crazy. Fortunately, his sanity hadn't slipped away completely. Seriously, who would want to stay here in this disguised jail? The dictionaries here were missing one word, and that's _fun._

Funny, he actually missed his high school life. Back in the days of Gakuen Alice, he and his gang were the most popular guys. They were respected and they were feared. They would often hang-out; trying every exciting activity the world had ever known.

They would go bungee jumping, skydiving and drag racing. No one could stop them. They had _no limitations._

Oh, how he missed the fun. If it wasn't for his father, he should have been a racer. Mr. Ryuu Hyuuga –the hospital's owner and the guy's father- wanted him to follow his footsteps. He really didn't want to obey, but his father had his ways.

His friends, on the other hand, were all successful now.

Kitsuneme's a blond with gold eyes. He was a professional skydiver now. Even back then, he fancied skydiving the most. He had appeared in televisions doing stunts. Two years ago, he broke an arm due to unsuccessful landing, but everything's back to normal now. Whenever the topic was being brought up, he would just laugh and say, "I miscalculated."

The doctor's best friend was also a blond. He was Ruka Nogi who was also famous. His eyes were the color of the oceans. He was always interested in animals so it was no wonder that he excelled in the field of zoology. They would often tease him, saying that he had a strange communications with the animals. It's their language and the only human who could understand them was Ruka.

He sighed and glared at the golden plaque with _Natsume Hyuuga PhD _inscribed on it. At least his friends were enjoying whereas all he could do was to sulk here. He glared at the plaque once more, hoping it would melt.

The last member of the gang was Kokoro Yome. He became a-

_Knock .Knock._

"Come in," Natsume ordered.

With a soft click of the knob, in came a guy with sandy brown hair. He grinned at Natsume as he sat down. He was bringing two cups of coffee and handed one to the raven-haired guy.

"Shift has ended, right?" the man inquired.

Natsume sipped his coffee and said, "Yeah. Yours too. Why are you still here,Koko?"

The last member of the gang was Kokoro Yome. He became a doctor, just like Natsume. But unlike the doctor, he was enjoying himself.

"I just had to finish some papers. So I guess you're pissed because of that event earlier."

Natsume raised an eyebrow. "I told you that you should have been a psychologist. Tell me, can you seriously read my mind?"

Koko chuckled. "Who knows?" he shook his head, "Patience is a virtue, Natsume. You shouldn't have tried to fight the husband."

His friend snickered. "Yeah, right. There is no such thing as 'Patience' in my dictionary."

Just then, Koko's phone rang. "Hello?"

His lips curved up a little. "Yeah, sure. I'll bring Nat. We'll be there in ten minutes." And then he hung up.

"Who was that?" Natsume asked.

"Ruka. He's asking us to come over his place tonight. Kitsuneme is already there."

"No. The witch might be there."

Ruka's girlfriend was the project manager of TechY inc. natsume couldn't figure out what Ruka saw in her. She was a blackmailer and she was a witch. She was cold and she was a bitch. Her stoic expression would never leave her face. She was mad. She was Hotaru Imai.

"C'mon Nat. I told them I'll bring you with me. Besides, Anna's there so there would be a lot of great food!" Koko said.

Natsume threw the disposable cup into the trash bin. "Umenomiya? The rosette? What is she doing there?"

Anna Umenomiya was their classmate in high school. They weren't really that close. Well, he practically wasn't talking to anyone besides his group so it was not that surprising.

Koko mimicked Natsume's action and threw his cup into the trash bin as well. "Apparently, Kitsu and Anna are together now and she's friends with Hotaru," he answered.

"Small world," Natsume remarked.

The other guy nodded. "It is indeed. So, let's go? I'm hungry."

"Still no. The witch might have put security cameras all over Ruka's place. Who knows that tomorrow we would be in the front pages of newspapers? 'Pictures of Doctors Peeing.'"

His friend laughed. "She could not be that bad. Come on."

"I'll pass."

Koko looked disappointed. "Okay. I won't go either. I told them I'll bring you so I'm not coming without you."

"Fine."

After a while, Koko groaned. "I'm freaking hungry! Are you sure you still don't want to go, Natsume?"

The doctor nodded. "Positive."

"Okay. I guess I'll just have dinner with my girlfriend then. See you later," he said and got up. He headed towards the door. He opened it and was about to leave but Natsume stopped him.

"Koko, wait. I think I'm hungry, too. Let's meet Ruka and Kitsuneme."

Koko cocked his eyebrows. He was confused. Just earlier he couldn't convince Natsume to go and now he's willing? He didn't bother to ask the raven-haired guy. He just smiled and nodded.

:-:-:-:-:

The drive to Ruka's condominium took only five minutes. They rang the doorbell and it was Kitsuneme who let them in.

"Yo. What's up, dudes?" he greeted.

Koko greeted him back. "Kitsu. Good to see you."

Ruka then showed up. "Koko, Natsume. So your ten minutes became thirty, huh?" he teased.

"Sorry 'bout that. Nat was being bratty again," Koko explained. He headed to the kitchen after he said that.

Natsume sat down on the couch and eyed Ruka's bunny, Usagi. He also had an annoying parrot, Mimi. Really, he could just make his condo a zoo. "So, what's the occasion?" he asked his best friend. Ruka sat beside him and answered, "It's our anniversary – Hotaru and I."

"Hn."

"What? No 'congratulations' whatsoever?" asked Ruka.

"Nah. Good luck. If she dumps you – which I'm sure she will – do not come crying to me. I will just feed you with 'I told you, so.'"

The blond laughed. "That ain't gonna happen. The girl has it bad for me, I tell you."

Koko then reappeared from the kitchen, holding a glass of wine. "Whoa, Kitsu. You're so lucky, dude. Anna cooks so well."

Kitsuneme felt his ego increased by a pound. He grinned and said, "Of course."

"Speaking of Anna, where are the ladies?"

"In the room. I just don't know what they are doing there, though," answered the animal-lover.

And as if to answer Koko's question, Hotaru and Anna came out of the room.

"What? We're just talking inside," Hotaru murmured.

"Looking good, ladies," Koko complimented.

Anna was in her beige halter-top dress while Hotaru looked stunning in her black sleeveless top and white slacks.

"Thank you, Koko," answered Anna while Hotaru just said, "I know."

Hotaru would often glance at her watch. Ruka noticed this so he asked, "You waiting for someone?"

"Yeah," she replied, "She should be here in five..four..three..two.. and one."

And they heard a soft knock at the door.

"Good," muttered Hotaru and she walked to the door. The opened door revealed a brunette wearing a purple silk halter-top and black pants. She had a box of cake in her hands which she handed to Hotaru.

"Happy Anniversary," she said.

Upon hearing the voice, all heads turned towards the girl's direction.

"Mikan!" Koko said, slightly taken aback. He walked towards the girl and hugged her. "Why are you here?"

"Uhm.. the company agreed to design clothes for the debut of the newest gadget-show of TechY inc. We held a conference yesterday and Hotaru invited me," she answered.

"Mikan, as gorgeous as ever," greeted Ruka as he stood. He gave the girl a hug. "Thanks, Ruka. Happy Anniversary to the both of you. Stay strong," Mikan said.

Ruka gave her his genuine smile. "Yeah. We will. Thanks."

Kitsuneme hugged the girl and so did Anna.

Koko motioned the girl to sit on the couch. "Hey," she greeted Natsume. In response, the doctor nodded.

Mikan sat and it happened to be beside Natsume because she made room for Koko.

The guy put an arm on Mikan's shoulders possessively. No one objected. Why would they? Koko and Mikan were a couple.

However, Natsume was getting furious by the second. The touch of Mikan's skin against his made him want to remove that hand that was wrapped around the girl's shoulders and kiss her. He knew it was wrong, but damn, why the fuck should he care?! It was the girl that he fancied. She was Mikan Sakura, the girl that he loved. She was Mikan Sakura, the girl he couldn't have.

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**A/N**: Thank you for giving it a try. Despite the fact that I should have been listening to the teacher when I started this, I actually enjoyed writing the first chapter.

Reviewing is not mandatory but it makes the author happy.

With love,

~Acrianz


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **I've finished this chapter last week. But I was lazy. Sorry.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gakuen Alice.

**Limitations**

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_I seldom think of my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze among flowers._

_-Hellen Keller_

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**Chapter Two**

He stirred on his bed as he tried to ignore the light that peaked through his closed shutters. He covered his face with a pillow but quickly withdrew it. He'd be late!

'7:45 am,' the clock read.

He should be at the Hospital at 8. He won't make it.

Then suddenly, he remembered that it was Sunday. It was his day-off. 'Damn stupid body clock,' he cursed. He put his arms behind his head ad stared at the ceiling.

It was painted cream. It didn't have much intricate designs. It was just the way he wanted it.

He bought the house a year ago for independency. Sure it was smaller than the main Hyuuga house but it would do. Unlike the other one, this was not a mansion. He bought this from his salary so he was satisfied. He didn't want to get things using his father's money or influence. That's why he liked it. It was the fruit of his labor.

The furnitures were simple. Most of them were black which gave the interior a classic look. The curtains were dark blue. He had all the necessary appliances, too. Technically, it was a complete house. But it still felt like something was missing.

His place was quite far from the Hospital but so what? He was so much nearer to Mikan's house and working place anyway. She was just on the other street. He could go there anytime. Well, not anytime. People knew her boyfriend was Koko so it would be weird if they would see Natsume visiting her almost every day.

Actually, he didn't care about what the other people would say about him. He would not give a damn. What he cared about was Mikan's image.

Natsume didn't really know what happened to her and the others after he left Ruka's place. He was the first one to leave. The others found it weird because the night was still young. He said he had to do something so they let him go.

Lie. It was a complete lie.

He just drove home, drank a few cans of beer and went to sleep. If he had not left…no, he didn't want to think about it. He remembered his thoughts last night. He badly wanted to rip Koko's arm off his body. He put it around Mikan's shoulders! Damn. He was usually a composed person but he almost lost control last night. So as much as he wanted to stay beside the brunette, he left to avoid hurting his friend. Plus, Mikan wouldn't allow him to hurt Koko, would she?

Life's really unfair.

He didn't feel anything like this towards any other girl for twenty-four years. Only towards Mikan. He finally felt it, but she was already taken.

Damn. He wanted to see her. He wanted to, but-

Wait. Why not? She's probably at her studio now. Koko's doing an operation today. _No one_ would know.

Having the thought, he practically jumped out of his bed and went inside the bathroom for a quick shower. He would usually appreciate the hot water that's touching his skin but not now. He was going to see Mikan. Every second was important.

After the shampoo and soap, he brushed his teeth and rinsed. Whoa. Adrenaline rush.

He wiped his body with a towel and went inside his walk-in closet. He chose to wear beige pants and a dark-blue cardigan. He fished out his car keys and drove.

Wow. Was that five minutes?

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

One should know better than to get on Hotaru Imai's nerves. All the other workers of the TechY inc. tried to impress her but they _all_ failed. They feared her.

It was funny. She got in this company in the weirdest possible chance. Last year, she and Mikan attended the debut of this company. Her idiot of a friend was too easy to amaze. Mikan thought that the gadgets were all works of a genius. But Hotaru knew better.

Ever since she was little, she had always been interested in technology. She studied hard just so she could be in the position she's in now. At the debut, she was not impressed at all. She was even disappointed.

"What's so good about these lame gadgets?" she asked out loud.

The people were taken aback. Many gasped. The inventors got angry. But the president got interested.

He approached the raven-haired girl and asked, "Why, what's wrong with them?"

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "These are too simple. Even a high school student can make one. We are in the twenty first century. We all know that technology is not just luxury; it's necessity. If this company can produce only things like these, then I would just go home and eat popcorn as I watch you crumble down. "

She was sure she'd be on newspapers the day after. She just insulted them. But oh well, it was the truth.

Much to the people's surprise, the president let out a chuckle. "I've never thought anyone has the guts to say it. This lady is right!"

And then as if the President's words were that of a Genie, Hotaru was immediately hired. With her abilities and brains, the Higher-ups liked her. She got many promotions. And now, she was the respected Project Manager. She actually wanted to be the assistant Vice President or the Vice President or the President. But she was willing to wait. Rome was not built in one day.

She was now in Studio 3. It was a very quiet room because most of the people were afraid to speak. They were preparing for the debut of the newest magazine. This time, they would hold a fashion show.

"Look at those lights. It's summer and all we've got are dim lights? Change those to the colors of a rainbow. Now," she ordered.

The workers sweat dropped but did what they were told. Hotaru eyed the papers that she was given. The runway was okay. The seats were there. The models were ready.

At the bottom of the paper, a familiar name was written. Oh, so _she_ was coming back today. After she had spent a year in Paris, she's finally coming back to be the main model of the Wednesday's fashion show. Hotaru didn't like her but she could carry dresses very well. And for that, Hotaru ought to give her credits.

Speaking of dresses, Mikan promised that all the clothes that would be used in the show would be delivered tomorrow. Yesterday she told the raven-haired girl that she was assigned to do the main dress. She's probably doing it now. And the Project Manager was sure that her friend was cramming. Why wouldn't she? She went home late last night. After Natsume left, they continued to have fun. There was no difference at all. Even if Natsume was there, he'd just stay silent. The others wondered why he left early.

But Hotaru knew exactly what the reason was.

With eyes as sharp as an eagle's, Hotaru noticed the way Natsume looked at Mikan. He was in love with her. Unfortunately, he fell for the wrong person. Mikan was taken. Her boyfriend was Koko. Koko was Natsume's friend. Indeed, the crimson-eyed Doctor was doomed.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Natsume knew she was inside. Her blue Porsche was parked in front of the studio. The door was slightly ajar. Really, a careless girl she was. What if some guys entered and.. and..

Natsume shook his head. Just the idea made his hand tremble.

Quietly, he went inside. Pieces of fabric were everywhere. There were ribbons, laces, threads, measuring garments and buttons all over the place.

He spotted her at the far end of the studio. She was doing something on her desk; perhaps editing a design. Her auburn hair was tied in a ponytail with some stubborn strands set loose. Her eyebrows furrowed which meant she was thinking deep.

Natsume walked towards her. She was so occupied with her work that she didn't even realize he was already at the next desk. "Hey."

Surprised, Mikan took a step back and fell on her seat. Her eyes widened, giving Natsume a good look at her caramel orbs. "Holy Guacamole! You surprised me!"

Entertained by her expression, the doctor let out a faint chuckle. "You're too busy to hear my footsteps."

"Oh. Sorry. I was just, you know, working. By the way, what are you doing here?" she inquired.

Natsume shrugged. "Nothing. I just wanted to see you."

The brunette's lips curved up a little. But immediately, it turned into a scowl. "But, this dress is due tomorrow so I really can't talk to you today."

"That's fine. Just continue whatever you're doing."

"But.. uhm.. okay," she said and went back to editing. Every now and then she would sew some designs and ruffle on the blue dress that's on the mannequin. Natsume watched her as she worked. He didn't know why, but he wasn't bored. An hour passed and suddenly, Natsume spoke.

"Let's elope," Mikan heard him say.

"W-what?!"

"Let's elope," Natsume repeated. There was no turning back now.

"What the hell are you saying, Natsume? Why would we do that?" Mikan asked. She dropped the measuring garments and faced him.

Natsume was serious. "Because I love you and you feel the same way towards me."

Mikan stared in disbelief. She wished that someone would pinch her. She shook her head. "This isn't funny, you know."

Natsume walked towards her. Mikan, on the other hand, took a step back. Natsume took another step forward and Mikan did the opposite. And then, Mikan felt the hard concrete wall behind her. The doctor pinned her.

"You know I don't joke. I'm dead serious. You love me, don't you?"

The brunette was uncomfortable. "Natsume..I.."

"Don't you?"

"We couldn't. It's so-"

"Cruel? It's so cruel to Koko? That's why you can't leave him? That's why you can't break up with him? And what am I supposed to do?"

For the second time of the day, Mikan's eye widened. "But.."

"Do you think I can just watch him hug you and kiss you when I know damn well that you love me?"

"He _is _your friend! Don't you think he'll get mad?" Tears welled up in the brunette's eyes. "Do you think I can tell him that I fell in love with his friend while he was away?"

"And don't you think you're cruel? To me?"

Mikan didn't know what to answer. Tears rolled down. Luckily, her phone saved her.

"Excuse me. Someone's calling me," she said as she freed herself from Natsume.

"Hello? Oh, Hotaru," she greeted as she wiped her tears. Natsume watched her. He couldn't help but to clench his fists.

"Yeah. Don't worry, I can do it."

There was a long silence.

"Oh, I see. That's.. uhm.. great. Okay. Bye."

Mikan faced Natsume with sad eyes. The doctor wondered what the witch told her.

"I think it's time for you to leave, Natsume. I really need to finish this now."

"I told you, you can con-"

"No," the designer cut him off, "this dress will be worn by the main model who's coming today from Paris. You better go to the airport. I'm sure _she's_ arriving soon. You're _fiancé_ would be happy to see you there."

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**A/N: ** My cousin read it and she yelled at me. Why? Maybe because she didn't think that Mikan also has feelings for Natsume. Oh well.

With love,

~Acrianz

Reviewing is not mandatory but it makes the author happy.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's notes: I need inspiration. Hopefully, this new year will provide me loads of it. Happy 2011!

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**L I M I T A T I O N S**

_Acrianz_

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"_Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.__"_

_-Albert Einstein_

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_**Chapter Three**

Being famous is not always fun.

The model was now at the airport. She still had the afternoon to rest. By tomorrow, she would be practicing for the Wednesday's fashion show. Not that she still needed practice – she was just being professional.

She wore her peach hat which she bought at France and the red-rimmed Ray Ban sunglasses. She used the disguise to avoid the fans that might run towards her.

She walked with grace – a way her body could not help picking up. She scanned the crowd, excited to see who went to fetch her. Much to her surprise, she spotted a raven-haired guy who seemed to be waiting impatiently. Without dropping her grace, she walked faster. She hugged the guy, surprising him a bit.

"Natsume! Oh my God, I missed you!" she said. The guy kept his face expressionless. He said, "Come on, now. We're starting to get some attention." She hugged Natsume's arm as she walked towards him out of the airport.

When they arrived at her condominium, Natsume left, saying he had an important meeting to attend to. The model rolled her eyes. His excuses sucked. She looked over the window and smiled. "I'm home, Tokyo. Have you missed Sumire Shouda?"

:-:-:

Thank God she finished it on time. Mikan carefully put the dress in the leather bag and headed for the company. The drive took fifteen minutes and she hurried towards the studio where she would meet Hotaru.

"What part of 'rearrange' do you not understand? Rearrange them. Now," Mikan heard her friend say. She could feel the fear of the workers in the room. Really, Hotaru could be a bitch when it came to matters like this. The raven-haired girl turned around and saw her.

"That done? Good. Let's go," she said and walked out of the studio. Mikan followed closely behind. They walked – well practically jogged – towards the dressing room. Everybody was busy as hell for tomorrow was the big day.

Mikan saw that the room was packed with models, make-up artists and of course, dresses. Dress rehearsals were strict for they could do no mistake. "Mikan? The main model is there. Go to her," Hotaru informed her. She walked towards the farthest booth and was slightly taken aback to see the model. But really, who else was she expecting? This was TechY inc. and they needed the best.

"Hey. Long time no see," Mikan politely greeted. Sumire looked at her and grinned. Mikan couldn't help but to grin back.

"Oh my God! You designed my dress? I mean, the dress that I'm going to wear?" she asked the brunette. Seeing her nod, she continued, "Fabulous! I'm sure it's gorgeous. Lemme see."

Mikan held out the dress and Sumire quickly changed into it. The dress fit her perfectly, almost as if it was destined for her to wear it. Mikan forced a smile. "Well, I guess we have no adjustments toyou're your body is perfect. I'm envious," she said half-heartedly. The green-haired girl let out a chuckle. "Oh, please. You're kidding me. I sometimes thank God that you chose to be a designer rather than a model or else you'd be my greatest rival."

Mikan felt her cheeks go hot. Greatest rival? Impossible. So maybe their heights are almost the same, but she absolutely cannot compete against Sumire Shouda.

Just as she was about to contradict her, the project coordinator came barging in the room. All heads turned towards him.

"Alright ladies, you all ready? The rehearsal starts in five minutes!" The models hurriedly put on whatever they had to put on while the coordinator waltzed his way towards Mikan and Sumire. He beamed.

"Sumire darling, you look gorgeous," he complimented. Sumire smiled at him. "Thank you, Narumi." He then faced Mikan and said, "Ah, Mikan dear. No wonder it looks like a million-dollar dress." The brunette blushed which cause the blond to blush.

"Alright then. Let's go."

:-:-:

The show was just fantastic. Well, it shouldn't be a surprise because it was Hotaru who managed it but the cheers and applauses of the crowd were overwhelming. Everything was just perfect, from the lights, the seating arrangements, the models, especially the gadgets! People all over the world would surely come to buy them.

It was fifteen minutes since the show ended and the spectators had left. The only ones who were left at the studio were the models and the staff.

As they exited the studio, a pair of arms hugged Mikan from behind causing her to yelp. She turned around and sighed in relief.

"God, Koko. You scared me!"

Koko chuckled and bent down to give Mikan a peck on the lips. "Nice show." Mikan smiled at the remark. And then, Sumire let out a squeal and said, "How sweet! Natsume, why couldn't you be like that?"

The raven-haired guy stepped beside Sumire and rolled his eyes. Sumire ignore it and kissed him on the cheek. She then turned to Koko and gave him a nod.

"Ah, the famous Sumire Shouda. Gorgeous as ever, I see," Koko complimented. Mikan could have sworn she saw a slight pink on the model's cheeks but she decided to shrug it off. Why would Sumire blush over something like that, anyway? Surely she receives multiple compliments every day.

Sumire grinned at him. "Still quite the charmer, I see. Mikan here is so lucky to have such a charming boyfriend."

Koko's hold on Mikan's waist tightened and he smiled. "Nah. I'm the lucky one here. This girl is wonderful." And at that, Mikan blushed.

"Couldn't disagree with that. Right, Natsume?"

Sumire turned to Natsume only to find him staring at the floor as if the ants tripled in size. His gaze then flickered towards Sumire who had her eyebrows raised. Remembering the question, he looked at Mikan, then at Koko's hand, and back to Mikan. "Yeah. ."

The sound of an opening door gathered their attention and out came Hotaru and Ruka with the latter fixing his tie and his unruly hair.

"Oh my God. Please don't tell me you just made out!" squealed Mikan, her face horror-stricken. Sumire laughed while Hotaru rolled her eyes. "Feisty," Koko commented.

:-:-:

Half an hour later found them at a restaurant occupying a table for six for their triple date. They talked mostly about the show and how splendid it was. Then the topic drifted to sports, animals and France. They were done eating when Koko received a call from the Hospital.

He came back with an apologetic face and told Mikan, "I'm so sorry but they need me there now. Uh, do you wanna go home? I could drop you first if you like."

Mikan shook her head. "No, you go ahead. I'll just take a cab or something."

"But it's almost midnight, and with you looking like that? No way," argued Koko.

Mikan started to protest but another voice spoke. "I can give her a ride," offered Natsume. The two looked at him. Mikan looked hesitant while Koko looked relieved. "Alright. Thanks, man. I'll see you tomorrow, Mikan." He kissed her and started to walk away when Sumire stopped. "Hey. Do you think you could drop me off? My condo's on the way and I don't want to ask Nat for a detour."

Koko raised an eye brow and shrugged. "Alright. Come on."

Not long after that, Hotaru and Ruka also decided to leave so Mikan suggested they do the same.

The fifteen minute ride was anything but comfortable. The air was so thick it was almost suffocating. Mikan tried her best not to look sideways. When they parked in front of her apartment, both of them still refused to speak. Mikan didn't want to look at Natsume so she stared at her fingers instead. After a minute of two, she decided that she couldn't bear the tension so she opened the door and went out. She bent down and said, "Thanks for the ride. Drive safely." And with that, she turned around and walked towards her apartment.

As soon as she set a foot inside, she felt herself being pushed against the wall. Her eyes widened. She stiffened when Natsume kissed her fiercely, his arms on the wall, pining her. Mikan froze for a while, not knowing what to do. Her brain and conscience were telling her that this was wrong and that she should push Natsume away. But at that time, all rational thoughts left her and her emotions took the best of her. She put her arms around Natsume's neck and ran her fingers through his hair as she responded to the kiss. Natsume deepened it and he snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

Natsume's tongue soon begged for an entrance and Mikan couldn't help but to open her mouth. The guy explored her mouth and teased her tongue. As a result, Mikan let out a moan. Then his kisses traveled down her jaw and then at her neck. He nibbled and licked and Mikan tightened her hold onto him. And then she remembered Koko.

She pulled away as though she was burned. Her eyes were wide and her mouth agape. Natsume , on the other hand, was confused. "Mikan, what- "

"We shouldn't be doing this," she cut him off. Her voice was raspy but determination was etched on her face. "Natsume, we need to stop this, this – whatever is going on between us! It's not right. There's - "

"Screw that!" Natsume sounded frustrated. His eyebrows were furrowed and his lips were curved into a scowl. "There's Koko and there's Sumire. What the fuck? It's _you_ who I want, can you not understand that?"

Mikan shook her head. "We had them even before we met. We- We need to stop seeing each other like this."

Natsume sighed. "No. I don't fucking want to."

Mikan looked at him in the eye and said, "We have to."

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_Reviewing is not mandatory but it makes the author happy. :)_

* * *

© Copyright 2010 Acrianz (FanFiction ID: 5876726). Posted: 12/29/10. All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without the written consent of Acrianz.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's notes: It's been a year since I last updated this story. I guess 2011 didn't provide me loads of inspiration. Maybe 2012 will. Don't worry, I already have the next chapter. =) Happy New Years!

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**L I M I T A T I O N S**

****_Acrianz_

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_"Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they're yours."_

-Richard Bach

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__**Chapter Four**

"Hey beautiful." Mikan felt warm arms hug her from behind. She smiled before answering, "Hey yourself. You got off early? " Koko buried his nose into her hair, tickling her a bit. "Hmm, yeah."

Mikan turned around and gave him a proper hug. He smelled nice – citrus and a bit of aftershave. He must have taken a shower first. Mikan knew he hated smelling like the hospital. She felt his warm lips on her forehead. "This feels nice. I miss cuddling up with you."

She shut her eyes. Why'd he have to be so sweet? Guilt was settling at her stomach and it felt heavy. _No,_ she told herself. She was starting to move on from her mistakes. She made the right decision.

"Yeah. Me, too."

Koko let her go. He held her hands and started rubbing circles on them using his thumbs. This always comforted Mikan and she felt herself relaxing. "So what are you up to?" the doctor asked.

That's when Mikan's eyes widened. She couldn't believe she almost forgot to tell him. "Oh! You will not believe this!" She beamed at him, her happiness radiating from her. He couldn't help but to grin. "What is it?"

"One of the spectators during the fashion show last week loved my dresses. It just so happen that she's the owner of a certain baby magazine. She told me that she would love to feature my works on her mag for free. But they have to be baby outfits. Do you think I can do that? I mean, it's such a big opportunity but I've never really tried making baby outfits before."

"I _know _you can. You're talented, Miks. Of course you can do it. I'm so proud of you." He gave her a sweet kiss. Mikan smiled against his lips. "Thanks, Koko." This guy absolutely knew how to make her feel better. He'd always made her feel so sure and confident. It was one of the things that made her agree to be his girlfriend.

_And one of the things why she knew she made the right choice._

:-:-:

She kept her word. It's been a week since their last encounter. Since then, Mikan always made excuses to avoid being alone with him. It annoyed him to no end, but he couldn't talk to her properly. Not when everyone seemed to be watching.

Natsume was busy glaring at his door when his phone rang. Reluctantly, he answered it. "Nii-san!" Oh great. It was Aoi. She never called unless she wanted something.

"What do you want this time?" Well, beating around the bush wasn't really him. He heard a chuckle on the other line. "You know me well, nii-san. Well Youichi and I were planning to go to France to for our wedding photo shoot you know. So I was wondering if I can leave Hana with you."

He knew it wouldn't be good. He sighed before answering, "Aoi. You know I have work. How can I possibly look after her?"

"Oh please! You can leave for a year and you'll still have your salary! This is the right time for you to use all of your leave credits! Please, pretty please, nii-san. We'll take our baby with us if we can, but then she won't be taken care of properly."

His eye twitched. "And what makes you think that I can? Haven't you heard? I'm the heartless jerk around here."

His sister scoffed. He pictured her rolling her eyes. "I'm your sister. Of course I know those are just rumors. I know for a fact that you're such a loving uncle who will take care of my baby girl when we're away."

"As much I love my niece, as you put it, I am not a baby sitter."

"Who said anything about a baby sitter?" Natsume wanted to glare at her.

"Please, nii-san! Or else. ."

Oh no. He didn't like where this was going. Whenever she used that voice, Natsume knew she had some sort of a back up plan. "Or else what?"

"Or else I'm gonna have to tell your friends about the time you used to pee your pants. Oh, is that yes I hear? Thank you, nii-san! I'll bring Hana over tomorrow! Bye!" And the line went dead.

Damn. He didn't even agree to it. Why did she have to get pregnant during college anyway? True he loved his 3 year old niece but he could only do so much for babies.

He sighed. He guessed he was going to have to suck it up. He was stuck with Hana for two weeks or so.

:-:-:

"Mikan, you are aware that you only have two days before the photo shoot and you still have four outfits to go, right?" Hotaru asked her before sipping her French vanilla. She visited the brunette to make sure she was working instead of watching the grass grow.

She watched as Mikan cut the blue cloth. Her friend stopped for a while and sighed. "I know, Hotaru. Don't worry, I'll finish them."

Hotaru shrugged. She knew Mikan would. She always finished her works on time. No matter how much she procrastinated, Hotaru had to give her some credit. She knew the brunette worked best when she's under time pressure. Mikan was weird.

She wanted to interrogate Mikan about a certain crimson –eyed guy, but she knew it would just distract her. Hotaru noticed how weird Mikan acted since the dinner that they had. Natsume acted even weirder. She knew something must have happened between the two.

It was sickening to watch, those two. She couldn't believe nobody else could notice the way they act around each other. Natsume acted as if Mikan was something so precious yet so light that it could be carried around by the wind. He acted as though he always wanted to grab Mikan to make sure she wouldn't go anywhere.

On the other hand, Mikan tried her best to avoid the said guy. She was willing to let herself be carried away by the wind just so Natsume wouldn't get to her. It was like a game of Cat and Mouse. It may not be that obvious to other people since the doctor was good at hiding her emotions. But Hotaru was a detective in her past life.

She had to find out what was going on. TechY was looking forward to working again with Mikan in the future. She couldn't do her work properly if she had something to distract her. Hotaru would find out, whether they like it or not.

:-:-:

Mikan just might give up making clothes for adults and stick with baby outfits if they were this cute. There were 7 toddlers in the set, all wearing the outfits that she made. They were so adorable it was almost a crime. She approached the baby blond who was struggling with her sleeve.

"What's the problem?" she asked. The girl looked about 4 years old. She looked up at Mikan with her big blue eyes and shyly pointed to her shoulder. "Hurts."

Mikan fumbled with her sleeve until she was sure it was okay. "There. Does it still hurt?" The girl shook her head. "Good. You look really pretty by the way. " The girl smiled at her. Mikan smiled back.

A couple of minutes later, one of the crew approached her with panic-stricken face. Mikan asked what's wrong. The lady took a deep breath before answering , "We have a problem, Miss Sakura. The kid who was supposed to wear the main dresses can't make it. She's running a high fever."

:-:-:

"And Youichi will drop off her things later. He just had something to do in his office," Aoi told him. They met up at a café near the hospital. Natsume just had to file his leave of absence. He also refused to take any clients at the moment. Since he wasn't a family doctor, it wasn't much of a problem.

He would never tell Aoi but he was actually glad to have an excuse to leave that stinking hospital.

"Are there any allergies I have to know about?" He asked. He eyed his niece who was peacefully eating her caramel pudding.

"Nope. She's healthy. I may have given birth to her while I was still very young, but we still take care of her, you know. And she's potty trained, don't you worry. I know you've been dying to ask that."

Natsume opened his mouth to say something but Aoi cut him off. "She doesn't like it when she wakes up alone. Chocolate pancakes are her favourite breakfast. She hates peas. Yes, she likes bedtime stories. Her favourites are Disney princesses."

Natsume winced. He didn't know if he could do it. Sure he may have spent some nights at Aoi's house but they were there to take care of Hana.

"I think this is a bad idea after all." He sighed.

His sister just rolled her eyes at him. "Oh please. You're a doctor, you can do it. And she adores you anyway so it should be easy. No way, Nii-san. There's no way you're getting away from this."

:-:-:

Mikan and Kim – the lady crew – went out to look for a possible substitute. They postponed the shoot for an hour. The kids were getting hungry anyway, so it was a good time for snacks. So far it was no good. There weren't any kids around who had the same size as Lora.

She sighed. She thought everything would turn out fine today. Why did Lora have to get sick today? Not that Mikan blamed her. It just sucked big time.

"Miss Sakura! I think she'll do!" Kim said, her eyes excited. Mikan followed her gaze. She saw a little girl, about 3 or 4 years old, feeding the pigeons. Mikan smiled. Yes, that girl was perfect.

They walked towards her. The girl was startled, but thankfully she didn't run away. "Hello there. My name's Mikan. What's yours?"

The girl smiled. "Hana!"

"That's such a beautiful name. How old are you, Hana?" Three little fingers went up in the air. Suddenly, Hana was being lifted off from the ground. Mikan looked up and saw a woman, a curious expression on her face.

She was probably only a year younger than Mikan. She looked an awfully lot like. . Mikan shook her head. There were many people with raven hair and crimson eyes. Right?

"Hi, I'm Mikan. Is she your daughter?"

"Yes. I'm Aoi, this is Hana. May we help you?"

"Yes, actually. You see, we're in need of a baby model. The other couldn't make it. Hana seems like her size so I wondering if she could model the clothes instead? Please."

"What's it for?"

"For a magazine. They're featuring my designs. I'd really appreciate it if you agree." Mikan pleaded.

Aoi seemed to think about it. She asked a few more questions, but when she found out that it was for the _Mage_ magazine, she became excited. "Oh my, really? I love the Mage! Why didn't you say so sooner? Let's wait for a little while for my brother, okay? He's the one taking care of Hana right now since I'm leaving for France tomorrow."

Mikan agreed.

They didn't have to wait long. Soon, Mikan heard footsteps behind her. And she went cold after hearing his voice. "Aoi, who are you talking to?"

Reluctantly, the brunette turned around. It's been two weeks since they last saw each other. Natsume's eyes widened.

"Nii-san! This is - "

"Mikan," he finished for her.

"Wait a minute," Aoi muttered, "You know each other?"

They both nodded. Before Natsume could say anything, Mikan faced Aoi and told her, "I assume you know Koko? I'm his girlfriend."

* * *

_Reviewing is not mandatory but it makes the author happy. :)_

* * *

© Copyright 2011 Acrianz (FanFiction ID: 1963681). Posted: 12/31/11. All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without the written consent of Acrianz.


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